The Trial of William 'Big Bill' Haywood

Abstract

The struggle between the Western Federation of Miners and the Western Mine Owners' Association at the turn of the twentieth century might well be called a war. When the state of Idaho prosecuted William Big Bill Haywood in 1907 for ordering the assassination of former governor Frank Steunenberg, fifteen years of union bombings and murders, fifteen years of mine owner intimidation and greed, and fifteen years of government abuse of process and denials of liberties spilled into the national headlines. Featuring James McParland, America's most famous detective; Harry Orchard, America's most notorious mass murderer turned state's witness; Big Bill Haywood, America's most radical labor leader; and Clarence Darrow, America's most famous defense attorney, the Haywood trial ranks as one of the most fascinating criminal trials in history.

Keywords: Famous Trials, Trial, Mines, Silver mine, Mine owners, Western Federation of Miners, Western Mine Owners' Association, Union, Workers, Miners, Labor, Haywood, Darrow, Clarence Darrow, Big Bill, Idaho

JEL Classification: K10, K40, K41, K42